Tina Knowles is gearing up to send her debut memoir, Matriarch, out into the world — but it was “definitely emotional” for her to write.
“It’s funny, because I’m doing the audiobook and some chapters, I’m still crying,” Knowles, 71, told Us Weekly exclusively at Habitat for Humanity Los Angeles’ 2025 Builders Ball. “I’m like, ‘How many times am I going to read this and cry?’ I guess the answer is forever, because it’s my life. It’s my history.”
Tina — the mother of Beyoncé and Solange Knowles, whom she shares with ex-husband Mathew Knowles — will tell her story in Matriarch, out on April 22. She is also set to go on a pretty extensive tour to promote the book with “a few fabulous friends,” including Keke Palmer, Michelle Obama and Kelly Rowland, among others.
“I’m so blessed,” Tina told Us, noting that she hopes readers feel “a sense of community” when reading Matriarch.
“It’s all about that,” she continued while wearing Nadine Merabi. “Also, a big, big, big hope is that people will understand how important it is to look into your past, learn about your ancestors, and pass that history on to your children and your grandchildren. That’s what I’m hoping that will happen from this book.”
Tina teased these themes when she announced the memoir via social media in October 2024.
“I have always been a storyteller, and it’s something I learned from my mother. When I had a family of my own, I believed that my daughters needed to know where they came from in order to know where they were going,” she captioned her post at the time. “I’m now ready to share my story with all of you, so that we can all celebrate these themes of strength, motherhood, Black pride, and identity.”
Aside from her own tour to promote Matriarch, Tina is also gearing up for her daughter Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter tour, which kicks off next month as well. (Beyoncé released her Cowboy Carter record in March 2024.)
Getty Images (2) Beyoncé and her husband, Jay-Z, have had their ups and downs over the years, but Tina Knowles has stood by her son-in-law through it all. While Beyoncé documented Jay-Z’s (real name Shawn Carter) infidelity on her 2016 album, Lemonade, and her sister, Solange Knowles, was infamously caught hitting and kicking the rapper in […]
“I’m so excited about this one, because this is really one of my favorite albums that she’s ever done,” Tina said, teasing that “of course” she gets some insight into the rehearsals.
“I think the history that went into [the album], and all of the artistry from all the different people and genres,” Tina said. “It’s powerful. I think it’s gonna be a powerful tour.”
Tina’s Matriarch memoir is set to be published Tuesday, April 22.
With reporting by Mike Vulpo
